Coat hanger and coat-securing means



May 21, 1929.

w. M. PRICE 1,713,621

COAT HANGER AND COAT SECURING IEANS Filed May 2, 1928 awucntoz Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM Ill-PRICE, OF FITCKBURG, MASSACHUSETTS. v

COAT HANGER AND COAT-SEC'U RING MEANS.

Application filed May 2,

This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to a device of this character known as a coat hanger and by means of which a coat or the like may be suspended from an overhead support.

At the present time it is customary in many sitta'es to suspend coats which are to be sold upon hangers which in their turn are suspended from an overhead support,'such as a rod or the like, so that the coats will be prevented from becoming wrinkled and also allow the coats to be displayed either within a store or outside the store. It sometimes happens that a coat will be removed from the hanger while a clerk or the proprietor of the store is not looking, and, therefore, one object'of the invention is to provide a coat hanger having means connected therewith to prevent removal of a coat from the hanger by an unauthorized person.

Another object of the invention is to allow the coat hanger to be locked upon its overhead supporting rod as well as securing a coat upon the hanger and thereby prevent the hanger from being removed from its overhead supportand the hanger together with a coat supported thereon taken away.

Another object of the invention is to provide the coat hanger with a lock including a shackle which serves as a suspending hook for the hanger as well as to engage a rlng at the end of a chain tobe passed through a sleeve of the coat and thereby insure securing of both the hanger and the coat suspended thereon when the shackle, is disposed about a supporting rod and moved to a retracted position with a portion of the shackle passed through the ring at the end of thechain.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the improved coat hanger in front elevation with a coat suspended thereon indicated by dotted lines, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hanger shown partially in elevation and partially in vertical section.

The improved coat hanger, which is indicated in general by the numeral 1, may be formed of wood, metal or any other suitable material and includes a shank 2 from which extend arms 3 to engage within the shoulder portions of a coat supported upon the hanger. A coat supported upon the hanger is indicated by dotted lines and designated by the 1928. Serial No. 274,568.

numeral 4, and it will bereadily seen that if means were not provided to secure the coat upon the hanger it could be very easily removed therefrom by'an unauthorized person.

. In order to secure a coat upon the hanger. there has been provided a chain 5 which has one end connected with a ring 6 passed through an opening 7 adjacent the outer end of one of the arms 3 and this chain is of sufficient length to extend downwardly through a sleeve of the coat and then up wardly to the upper end of the shank 2 of the hanger. At its free end the chain carries a ring 8 similar to the ring 6 and this ring is intended to be engaged by the shackle 9 of a lock 10 carried by the shank of the hanger. Thelock in the form illustrated has its casing 11 embedded in'a pocket 12 formed in the shank and has a face plate 13 which is secured by bolts or other suitable fasteners 14 which pass through the casing and may if so desired be passed through the shank inorder to assist the screws 15 in retaining the look within the pocket 12. The shackle 9is of an'invert-ed U-shape with its arms 16 and 17 extending through openings 18 in the head of the casing and adjacent its lower free end the arm. 17 is formed with a recess or seat 19 to receive a latch 20 by means of which the shackle may be secured in a retracted position. This latch'pin 20 is slidably received in a bearing 21 and is formed with a depending arm 22 adapted to "be engaged by a key 23passed inwardly through the keyhole 24 of the face plate 13, and from an inspection of Fig. 2 it will be readily understood that, when the key is rotated in the loek,'the latch may be moved againstr'the action'of the spring 25 which bears against the bearing 20 and abutment pin 26 in order torelease the shackle and permit it to be drawn outwardly until the arm 17 is free. Outward movement of the shackle is limited by the pin 27 of the arm 16 contacting with the head of the lock casing.

When the coat hanger is in use, the chain is first passed through the sleeve of a coat and the coat suspended upon the hanger or the coat may be first placed upon the hanger and the chain then passed downwardly through a sleeve of the coat. The shackle is in areleased position and, therefore, it may be easily engaged about an overhead supporting rod- After the shackle has been engaged with the supporting rod the chain is drawn upwardly from the sleeve and its ring 8 engaged with the arm 17 of the shackle. Pressure is then applied to force the shackle inwardly to aretracted position Where itwill be secured by the latch 20 and prevented from moving outwardly until a key is inserted in the lock and turned to act against the arm 22 of the latch.

By this arrangement the shackle will constitute a suspending element for the coat hanger and also securing means to retain the hanger upon a supporting rod andfirmly anchor the normally free end of the chain. Since the chain 1s secured by the shackle passing through its ring 8 and extends through the sleeve of a coat suspended upon the hanger, 1t wlll be impossible to remove the coat from the hanger until the lock is released and as theshackle extends about a supporting rod'or the like and is firmly held in a retracted position it will be impossible to remove the hanger from the supporting rod extending therefrom, a lock in the shank including a shackle extending upwardly therefrom, and means to releasably secure the shackle in a locked position, and a flexible element connected to the coat hanger and of sufficient length to .bepassed downwardly through a sleeve of a coat suspended upon the hanger; and upwardly therefrom and having its free end adapted to be engaged by the shackle of the lock to prevent unauthorized -removal of a coat from the hanger.

2. A coat hanger having a shank and arms extending therefrom, a lock carried by the shank and incl udinga shackle extending from the shank and constituting support-engaging means,-and locking means for the shackle, and a flexible element connected to one arm of the coat hanger and of a length to be passed downwardly through a sleeve of a coat suspended upon the coat hanger and upwardly therefrom and having a ring at its free end adapted to be engaged by the shackle.

3. A coat hanger having a shank and arms extending therefrom, a lock carried by the shank and including a shackle extending from the shank and constituting support-engaging means, an d locking means for the shackle, and means carriedby one arm of the coat hanger adapted to be passed through a sleeve of a coat suspended'thereon and engaged by the shackle of the lock to prevent unauthorized removal of the coat from the hanger. I

i. A coat hanger having a shank and arms extending from opposite sides thereof, a chain having one end secured to anarm of the coat hanger and of a length to'be passed downwardly through a sleeve of a coat suspended upon the hanger and upwardly from the sleeve to the shank of the hanger, and common means carried by the shank to suspend the hanger from a support and releasably secure the free end of the chain.

5. A coat hanger having a shank and arms extendin from opposite sides thereof, a chain having one end secured to an arm of the coat hanger and of a length to be passed clownwardly through a sleeve of a coat suspended upon the hanger and upwardly from the sleeve to the shank of the hanger, and lockable means carried by the hanger and constituting common means to engage the free end of the chain and secure the hanger upon a support.

6. A coat hanger having a shank and arms extending from opposite sides thereof, achain having one end secured to an arm of the coat hangerand of a length to be passed downwardly through a sleeve of a coat suspended upon the hanger and upwardly from the sleeve to the shank of the hanger, and a lock carried by the shank andincluding a shackle extending therefrom and adapted to secure the hanger upon a support and secure the free end of the chain when locked.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAMM. PRICE. [1 8. 

